far or doing anything on guns. and also as regarding his role as chairman. he mentions decisions had to go through his committee. dianne feinstein is running an assault weapons bill. she's about to introduce it. other members are interested. he wants to be associated with and control this process but he has to work very carefully. >> you wrote about this about the devil will be the details. >> what is an assault weapon? how do you define it? this is not a surprise, the kinds of questions i am asking, will not be answered immediately. these are the things you have to

deal with to put the legislation through. he talked about hearings not legislation. hearings are wonderful way of getting ideas out. when the devil stars to come up as one is our to mark up the legislation. they can be very -- start to come up as they go into markup the legislation. that can be very painful. show loopholeunsegun is a perfectly good way to go forward. >> we hear the nra described as powerful and influential. just how powerful? did in tnewtown change the dynamic? >> they will continue.

there is a shorthand used with the nra. americans to support second amendment rights do so because the nra tells them to. the nra is interested in building their membership. they are not dictating thought to people. people care about their guns. there is a component that goes on between the nra and lawmakers. that relationship is more nuanced than is often portrayed. i would think the nra would push back on any attempt to renew an assault weapons ban. they have been more silent on the background check. >> thankx÷÷÷÷ you both for your

questions and being with us on "newsmakers" today. host: caller: [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2013] blacks and about 85 minutes -- >> and about 85 minutes sheet justice roberts will issue the oath of office. it will take place tomorrow too much more public pomp and ceremony. the present one of seven u.s. presidency will be sworn in edgewise. -- the president is one of seven u.s. presidents who will be sworn in at twice. they advise you to take mass transit as road closures will continue over night. the president will watch the parade from this location.

it has been under construction over the last month and a half. this is a live view from pennsylvania avenue. coming up in about a minute or two we will take you back four years ago when president obama delivered the inaugural address. we will have a roundtable discussion in about 20 minutes with two former speechwriters for george w. bush and bill clinton. all of our coverage and behind the scenes photographs are available on our website c- span.org. let's take you back to january 2009.

[crowd chanting "obama"] >> thank you. thank you. my fellow citizens, i stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. i thank president bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition. 44 americans have now taken the presidential oath. the words have been spoken during rising tides of

prosperity and the still waters of peace. yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. at these moments, america has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents. so it has been, so it must be with this generation of americans. that we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and

prepare the nation for a new age. homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered. our healthcare is too costly costly and our schools fail too many. each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet. these are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. less measurable, but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land. a nagging fear that america owes the decline is inevitable, but the next generation must lower its sights. today i say to you that the challenges we face are real. they are serious and they are many. they will not be met easily or in a short span of time, that know this, america -- they will

be met. [cheers and applause] on this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of her pace over conflict and discord. on this day we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that far too long have strangled our politics. we remain a young nation, but in the words of scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. that time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit. to choose our better history, to carry forward that righteous gift, that noble idea passed on from generation to generation, the god-given promise that all

are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness. [cheers and applause] in reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand the greatness is never a given. it must be earned. our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. it has not been the path for the faint hearted, for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. rather it has been the risk takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom. for us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life. for us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the west, endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth. for us, they fought and died in

places like concorde and gettysburg, normandy and khe sahn. time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. they saw america as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions, rater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction. this is the journey we continue today. we remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on earth. our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. our capacity remains undiminished. but our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and

putting off unpleasant decisions, that time has surely passed. starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking america. [cheers and applause] for everywhere we look, there is work to be done. the state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift. we will act not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. we will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. we'll restore science to its rightful place and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its costs. we'll harness harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. and we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age.

all this we can do. all this we will do. now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions, who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. their memories are short. they have forgotten what this country has already done, what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose and necessity to courage. what the cynics that to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them, that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. the question we have today is not whether our government is

too big or too small, but whether it works, whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. whether the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. where the answer is no, programs will end. and those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government. nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control. a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. the success our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gdp, but on the reach of our prosperity, on our

ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to common good. as for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. our founding fathers faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for the expedience's sake. and so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest countries to the smallest village where my father was born, and know that america is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, that we are ready to

lead once more. [cheers and applause] we call that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. they understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as he pleased. instead they knew that our power grows through its root in use, our security emanates from the justness of our cause the force of our example how much tempered qualities of humility

and restraint. we are the keepers of this legacy. guided by these principles once more, we can meet these new threats that demand even greater effort, even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. we will begin to responsibly leave iraq to its people and forge a hard-earned peace in afghanistan. with old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat and roll back the specter of a warming planet. we will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken. you cannot outlast us. we will defeat you. [cheers and applause] for we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. we are a nation of christians and muslims, jews and hindus,

and nonbelievers. we are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this earth come and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation and emerge from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass, but that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve. as a world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself in the america must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace. to the muslim world, we seek a new way forward is done mutual interest and mutual respect. to those leaders around the globe who now seek to sow conflict or blame their society's ills on the west, know that your people will judge you on what you can build and not on what you destroy. to those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent,

know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist. [applause] to the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow, to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders, nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. for the world has changed, and we must change with it. as we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude and those brave americans who at this very hour patrol far-off deserts

and distant mountains. they have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in arlington whisper through the ages. we honor them not only because they are the guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service, a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. and yet, at this moment, a moment that will define a generation, it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all. for as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the american people upon which this nation relies. it is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selfishness of workers who would rather cut their hours

than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. it is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate. our challenges may be new. the instruments with which we meet them may be new. but those values upon which our success depends -- hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism, these things are old. these things are true. they have been the quiet force of progress in route our history. what is demanded then is a return to these truths. what is required of us now is a new era

of the sponsor ability, a recognition on the part of every american that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not rigidly accept, but rather seize gladly firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a ethical task. this is the price and the promise of citizenship. this is the source of our confidence, the knowledge that god calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny. this is the meaning of our liberty and our creed, why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath. [cheers and applause]

so let us mark this day with remembrance of who we are and how we have traveled. in the year of america's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying town fires on the shores of an icy river. the capital was abandoned. the enemy was advancing. the snow was stained with blood. at a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people -- "let it be told to the future world that in the depth of winter when nothing but hope and virtue could survive, that the city and the country alarmed at one common danger, import to meet it."

america, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. with hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents and endure what storms may come. let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end. that we did not turn our back, nor did we falter. with eyes fixed on the horizon and god's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations. thank you. god bless you. god bless the united states of america.

[cheers and applause] >> for years ago, and the inauguration of president obama, a scene that will be repeated tomorrow january talented first -- january 21.

live coverage of the present official swearing in from the blue room of the white house. we want to welcome john mcconnell who spent eight years with president bush and vice president cheney. thank you for being with us. this is from the "washington examiner." then there is this from the "chicago tribune." the issues will be framed tomorrow at his inaugural address. what will we hear? >> no time to waste me anything -- makes me think of president

clinton this is about continuity. his time in office is now half finished. he is more conscious than ever before of the passing of time. he is going to be emphatic about his great ambitions. i do not think this will be a very policy specifics speech. there is an aspiration a level, a bit of discrimination of what we have gone there as a country.

this is a characterization of what we have been there as a country. a few of the great goals for the four years to come. not a lot of specifics. >> president obama has the luxury of one more day to prepare for his speech. typically every president is different. what is happening 24 hours before an inaugural speech? do you suspect the president has everything in place typically bill clinton would work on his major speech is almost up to the last minute. i understand that president obama has some of those tendencies as well. this is such a big moment for the president that you have to make sure that he find 26 and it really is his voice.

speechwriters' can give him a great draft. at this moment he is putting his final touches on it. >> we were talking about a lot of references to the 701 words by abraham lincoln. >> first of all, and there are not a heck of a lot of second inaugural addresses out there. lincoln's definitely stand out. possibly george w. bush. so much has happened in his first term. it was such a different picture international arena than it was at the beginning of his first term. >> the second inaugural address

was longer than the first. >> we have quite a challenge with president clinton. the second address was rather long. he had a way with the audience. i think he made up for it with his delivery. he was very captivating with people. i think inaugural addresses and typically tended to be shorter than other major presidential addresses. it is a moment of national unity. it is that a moment to lay out a detailed policy agenda. it is much more rhetorical and poetic. >> the president will deliver his state of union address.

>> that will be his policy agenda. it will also be a speech that makes a lot more news than the inaugural address. the inaugural address kind of comes and goes. the state of that resonates, because it is so specific and it will be confrontational, i am quite certain, and it just gets the whole political world dozen. >> tomorrow is also dr. martin luther king holiday, put in place by president reagan. bill clinton was the first to have his admiration for on an mlk day, president clinton making a reference to dr. king during his speech. >> 34 years ago, the man whose life we celebrate today spoke to us down there at the other end of the small -- this mall in

words that move the conscious of the nation. like a profit of old, he told of his dream that one day, america would rise up and treat all of its citizens as equals. before the law and in the hearts. martin luther king's dream was the american dream. his quest is our request. the ceaseless striving to live out our troops greeted. our history has been built on such dreams and laborers. and, by our dreams and laborers, we will redeem the promise of america in the 21st century. >> from 1997, to a live view of washington, d.c. to the area around where the presidential parade will take place.

reference to dr. martin luther king. one could suspect the president will make an even longer reference tomorrow. >> i would think so. tomorrow is particularly historic, in civil rights history. 50 years ago that dr. king made his "i have a dream" speech on the mall. 50 years ago, the assassination of john f. kennedy. the assassination of medgar evers. the horrific birmingham church bombing was 50 years ago. the president will be surrounded, symbolically and historic plea, by a lot of civil rights milestones. i believe the widow of medgar evers will give the invocation.

the president will take the oath with one hand on the bible belonging to martin luther king. yes, i think this will be a moment where he will definitely refer to the civil rights milestones that got him to this moment. >> the other bible will be abraham lincoln's. >> i just noticed in that clip with bill clinton, the camera cuts to dexter king, his youngest son, i wonder how it must have felt to be there. i imagine he will be there tomorrow as well. >> has the promise that dr. king talked about 50 years ago been fulfilled, would to re-election of president obama? >> i think you cannot deny that we have made tremendous progress and the election of -- re- election of president obama is

another milestone moment in civil rights history, but we still have a long way to go as far as racial reconciliation in america, building what dr. king called the beloved community. tomorrow, yes, it is a milestone moment, not only for the president, but for america's quest for racial reconciliation. >> we have two experts. john mcconnell worked with george bush on his inaugural address. terry edmonds spent eight years working with bill clinton. we talked about the reference to dr. king. your former boss making reference to abraham lincoln in his second inaugural address.

>> we will get that ready in just a moment. let's go to the phones. curtis from akron, ohio. >> thank you for taking my call. it is a pleasure to be on the air. i had the privilege, when i was 20 years old, i was on the executive board of kent state democrats. me and some of the members of the executive board, as well that members of ksu did attend the inauguration of president clinton back in 1997. >> what do you remember from that moment? >> i remember the crowds. i had never seen a crowd like that in washington, d.c. it was the first time i had been to the inauguration of a president.

we were all young in college at the time. bill clinton seemed like he was speaking to us, the young kids at the time. i remember, too, he wanted to have all of our bases covered as far as tickets. we got them from then- representative sherrod brown. we have worked with him, but the tickets that we got from him for that inauguration, we were way back on the mall behind the washington monument. we also worked with the republican representative from the 16th district of ohio. he got us tickets to a closer venue at the capitol, so we ended up using those tickets. i do remember doing that at the time.

>> thank you for the time. john mcconnell. >> there was an article yesterday about the allotment of tickets for the inauguration to members of congress. nobody would tell exactly how many tickets members of congress received. they do not have very many, maybe a couple hundred. what the caller was describing was the area four seen here in washington. one thing i will mention, when i was 12 years old, i was here at the inauguration of jimmy carter, the last inauguration on the east side of the capital. and then four years later, when ronald reagan was inaugurated on the west front. sometimes he is credited for making that change, but that change was in the world for quite awhile. it would have been on the west front with carter, later, had ts turn that different. the view on the east front, compared to the west front was

not very good. the east front used to be a parking lot, and then you have homes. parking lot, streets, kind of like a little town. whereas, here on the west side, you can accommodate these immense crowds. and they can see something. >> of course, president obama's first inaugural was attended by over a million people, i believe, gathering on the mall. the expectations is it will be somewhere about half that tomorrow. that is typical of second inauguration's. they are not as well -- publicly attended as the first. i think it is because the country is not as excited, they know who you are, they have seen you. my friend, who was also a chief

speech writer for bill clinton -- i read something that he had written recently -- and let us begin, is much more dramatic and let us continue. >> let's go back to 2005 when george bush was born into a second term be done on this day, prescribed by law and marked by ceremony, we celebrate a durable wisdom of our constitution and recall the deep commitments that unite our country. i am grateful for the honor of this hour, mindful of the continental times in which we live, and determined to fulfil the oath that i have sworn and you have witnessed.

at this second gathering, our duties are defined not by the words i used, but by the history that we have seen together witn. for half a century, america defended our own freedom by standing watch on distant borders. after the shipwreck of communism came years of relative quiet, years of repose, years of sabbatical. and then there came a day of fire. we have seen our vulnerability and we have seen its deepest source. for as long as whole regions of the world simmering resentment and tyranny, prone to ideologies that feed hatred and excuse . for half amurder, violence willd multiplied in destructive power, and cross the most defended

borders, and raise a mortal threat. there is only one force in history that can break the reign of hatred and resentment and expose the pretensions of tyrants and reward the hopes of the decent and tolerant, and that is the force of human freedom. >> from january 20, 2005, to a live view of lafayette park, as the tourists continue to gather, taking pictures of the presidential reviewing stand. this is where the president will be you the parade tomorrow afternoon. we are joined in the studio by two veterans of speech writing. john mcconnell from the bush and administration, terry edmonds from the clinton administration.

>> i will describe the process of the second inaugural with president bush. mike anderson was the chief speech writer to of the first term, into the second term. right after the re-election, mike and the president started to talk about the second inaugural address. the president said from the beginning, this will be the freedom speech. of course, that is how it will be remembered. that clip that you showed was pummeling the best part of it. -- probably the best part of it. mike started outlining the intellectual concept of the second inaugural address pretty soon after the election, and was working on it in december when he had a heart attack, mike did. but he stayed at it. when the drafting of the dress

came together, he and i worked as a team. by the time i came to it, it wasn't an intellectually coherent argument that had really been put together and just needed to be written. president bush then practice it a few times, made a lot of changes. i am sure commentary, you did this with president clinton. you go into the family theater of the white house and a set of the lectern, and you practice, turn on the teleprompter, change words, get over the rough spots, practice the ones -- the sentences that are more complex. but in terms of getting a person's voice on paper, it is a collaborative process. a speech has to be written according to the basic rules, that it has to be a conversational style. words should be short where possible, not long words, sentences should be short as much as possible, because you

have to pace yourself and brief. -- breathe. those are rules that apply to every speaker. and you have weather conditions. >> sometimes the wind, rain, bitter temperatures. >> you are aware of that because it is an outdoor ceremony. another reason to make sure is not a really long speech. >> we are sharing some of your comments. instantaneous reaction to the speech tomorrow. >> this is one of the new developments of the 21st century. president clinton, his second inaugural was the last one of the 20th century. president bush gave the first

inaugural of the 21st century. we did not have twitter, i do not think we had facebook, we did not have the social media that exists today. it makes a difference, because of the fact that there will be instant analysis by pundits, social media journalists, what ever you want to call them, social media people, who will be immediately tweeting every reaction to every word. it is interesting. you used to have instant polls after a major speech. now we're getting those polls while he is still speaking. >> before he is even finished and opinion is solidifying. >> thomas is on the phone from west virginia, good morning. >> i want to ask mr. mcconnell,

how do you write a speech for a president which is limited in resources of ability to be able to have a foundation for the words? we had president clinton, who was very articulate, very intelligent, as we do with president obama, but for president bush, he was very limited. did he really understand the words he was saying? >> president bush was actually a very fine speaker. it was not difficult to write for him. he was a person who was always very clear on the ideas he wanted to convey. he was a very good editor, a very smart, careful editor of the speech breaths. he told us early ones in the administration, it had been pointed out to him, as it was to

us, that his predecessor had given about 500 speeches in the year. this was the modern presidency and it would be different from holding any other office. just a huge volume of speeches, ranging from the very short items in the rose garden, to the major addresses. the president told us one time, every speech is important. don't let anyone tell you otherwise. it is important. people are paying attention, not in the same degree, obviously, to every given speech, but treat them all as very important, because he did. speechwriters' needed to as well. he also practiced the major addresses, as i mentioned, as all presidents do. that is something that i am sure president obama is doing today.

>> certainly no stranger to the stage in a speech-making, ronald reagan, the first president to be sworn in on the west front of the u.s. capitol. he was sworn in for a second term in january at the -- in 1985. here is a portion of that speech. >> when i took the oath four years ago, i did so in times of economic stress. voices were raised sanguine into the to our past for our greatness and glory. we, but the day americans, are not given to looking backwards. in this blessed land, there is always a better tomorrow. four years ago, i spoke to of a new beginning, and we have accomplished that, but in another sense, our new beginning is a continuation of the beginning treated two centuries ago, when for the first time in history, government, the people

said, was not her master, it is our servant. it's only power, that which we the people allow it to have. that system has never failed us. but for a time, we failed the system. we asked things of government that government was not equipped to give. wielded authority to the national government, the property belonged to state or local governments, or to the people themselves. we allowed taxes and governmente said, was inflation to rob us of our earnings and savings and watched the great industrial machine that had made as the most productive people on earth slowdown, and the number of unemployed increase. by 1980, we knew it was time to renew our faith to strive with all our strength towards the ultimate in individual freedom consistent with order of the society. we believed them, and now, there are no limits to growth and human progress when men and women are free to follow their

dreams, and we were right. [applause] >> a live view of pennsylvania avenue. that speech was delivered on january 21. ronald reagan, one of seven u.s. presidents whose inauguration day fell on a sunday. the ceremonial " of office taking place at the u.s. capitol. what a difference inside the rotunda. the temperatureto rob us of ourt date, seven degrees, the wind chill, 20 below. >> it tells you about the quality of that speech and the speaker, it sounds like it was written for an intimate setting. softer tones in the rotunda, which does not really hold a lot of people. if he had delivered that to a throng on the mall, it probably would have sounded pretty good, and that is what it was written for. i remember the story about

reagan, the day he was inaugurated in the oval office with the first time. they brought in tv cameras, and getting some pictures of the president at his desk. i cannot remember if it was a reporter who asked him, what do you think about all this? reagan said something like, it is all really great and wonderful, it has been a great couple of days, now can go back to california? >> chad is with us from atlanta. republican line.

>> thank you for taking my call. i was wondering, what are some of the challenges that president obama may face in his second term? you saw the battles and went on with the debt, the fiscal cliff. i know that they pushed back the debt ceiling for about three months, i believe. i was wondering if there was any chance for congress and the president to foster more bipartisanship during the second term? >> i think that will be a major theme of his speech tomorrow. i think he will be speaking out, once again, across the aisle to call for the reaching of common ground on these major issues, like the debt ceiling, the budget, gun-control, immigration, tax reform, those kinds of things. i think it is true that we have a divided government now. it has been a difficult four years, but president obama is a

natural conciliate her -- conciliation person, and he will make that a big theme of his second term. i think you will hear some of that tomorrow. >> this is from this morning's "washington post." you can draw an analogy to two former president, franklin roosevelt and dwight eisenhower, finding parallels to what fdr delivered in his second address in 1937, and what eisenhower faced in 1957. >> the roosevelt second inaugural address is interesting to read because it really is of a peace with first inaugural. the president said, i came in with a huge crisis, i have been leading this country through, we're on the right path. we are going to keep going. he has a phrase in there -- have we found our happy valley? it was a very fine speech. i would have to go back and look

at it again. i do not read it as being an aggressive speak. he was speaking to the whole country, but he was not in campaign mode. roosevelt was very good in that way. of course, eisenhower never sounded like that. >> that speech is recognized as one of the better second inaugurals. i think it does echoes some of the themes of obama, president obama. one of back and look the lines in that speech is, i see a nation ill-clothed -- one-third of the nation. he talked about income inequality, pushing forward the new deal, making the country work for all people. >> cassie is with us from grand junction, colorado. democrats line. >> thanks for taking my call. i have a couple of issues. i will make it as brief as possible. i think, as americans, caught if

we really live up to being democrats, we would be able to when we feltsident so. having only eight years to work with, you barely get program started in four. that speech you have four years to mature program started, and then you have another four years to make it work, impress everybody come and if it does, if people like it, then they should be able to vote them back in. that is much more american than the republic that we have today. >> thank you for the call. earlier today, we sat down with an historian and he indicated rodham. wanted to change the constitution to allow

presidents to serve more than two terms. he also said in today's media culture, eight years may be more than enough. >> he always said, while president, he never said that he would run for a third term. as a matter of fact, he pointed out, by advocating the change, he was advocating for future presidents, not himself. he called the limitation in violation of the democratic rights of the people. i generally think, when a president comes into office and there is a lot of commentary about the hard road ahead, does he really want this, what ever else, the greatest day imaginable for a person that has run for the presidency to be standing there as the president. i hope and fully expect that

president obama's greatest theme tomorrow, at least implicitly, is seizing the moment, mindful again of the passage of time. >> showing some scenes of the white house and the presidential viewing stand. just above the security screens put in place. we also know probably one of the warmest places to watch the parade because there are heating units to keep the first family warm. give us a sense what that is like. the ceremony is over, the speeches are done, and now the parade is underway. >> i think that is also a moment of pond and circumstance where the president gets to be in the parade. sometimes they get out of the car, walked down the street, wave to the crowd. it is a moment, not only for the president, but for the family, the children, the first lady, to participate in this grand

celebration. it is a long day for the president. he starts early in the morning with the swearing-in, and then the parade is not over until about 5:00 in the afternoon. it is a long day for him, but a day that they really relish. >> bill clinton hope and had one longest parade in history. does array from waterville, maine. co-head, please. >> i just wanted to comment on barack obama doing cuts. i did not appreciate him doing cut. i wanted to know how he would make his second term with all of the cuts. >> that gets to the larger point, john mcconnell, what he can do as president in an era where we have trillion dollar budget debts and growing. >> is all about leading.

mar one of the programmatic answers to these problems. -- it is all about leading. the state of the union address, on lincoln's birthday, is where we will hear the president described how he wants to do it. >> what we remember from 1997, bill clinton's address. >> at this last presidential inauguration of the 20th- century, let us lift our eyes towards the challenges that await us in the next century. is our great, good fortune that time and chance have put us not only at the edge of the new century and a new millennium, but on the edge of a bright, new prospect in human affairs. a moment that will define our

course and our character for decades to come we must keep our old democracy forever young. guided by the ancient vision of a promised land, let us set our sights upon a land of new promise. the promise of america was born in the 18th century. out of the bold conviction that we are all created equal. it was extended and preserved in the 19th century, when our nation spread across the continent, save the union and abolish the awful scourged of slavery. then, in turmoil and triumph, that promise exploded onto the world stage to make this the american century. and what a century it has been. america became the world's

mightiest industrial power saved the world from tyranny and two wars and the long cold war. and time and again, reached out across the globe to millions, who like us, long for the blessings of liberty. >> from the inaugural address of bill clinton in 1997, to a live view of the u.s. capitol as preparations continue on this sunday for the public ceremony tomorrow on that same location. terry edmonds, a president can outlined an agenda, but often unforeseen event will shape the administration be done absolutely. that is one of the interesting things about government and the presidency. you just never know what will happen. 9/11 happened during the clinton administration, we had columbine, the oklahoma city

bombing. those kinds of the event you cannot predict. you can always lay out an agenda, say what you want to do, but you are somewhat at the mercy of the news, breaking events. >> john mccaw this is from a supporter of the president. you mentioned the first time you came was in 1977, when jimmy carter walked down pennsylvania avenue, the first president to do so. a lot has changed with the securities and infrastructure from back then. >> i was at president obama's inaugural parade four years ago, watching it from pennsylvania. there was speculation, is he going to get out of that car? of course, the secret service or

what house will not tell you and the assumption is he will not, but of course, he did, right around that spots, and mrs. obama, and walked a good stretch of the parade. it is a wonderful thing to see, the president and first lady walking down as of an avenue. i hope we will tomorrow, but we never know. >> security is very tight and you need certain color-coded as a for certain areas. we know that the president will walk at least along that stretch. lisa is on the phone from the vienna, democrat's line. >> good morning. weren and my self fortunate enough to attend the inauguration four years ago, the concert. at that time, he was 8 years old. my question to the speech writers, i am quite certain that you know a lot of history.

for this particular president, an african-american president. for his birthright and everything else to be questioned, the racial disrespect that he received, have they ever read about other presidents, when doing research for a speech, where a president has faced so many racial undertones? >> being the first african- american president and the only african-american president, the only non-white male president in history, of course, he would be the only one to face that kind of scrutiny and conflict, but i think he has handled it well. i do not think it has impeded his ability to govern and bring the country together. >> let me go back to the words of george w. bush, his second

inaugural address, reference in our 16th president, abraham lincoln. >> today, america speaks a new to the peoples of the world. all live in tyranny and hopelessness can know, the united states will not ignore your repression, or excuse your oppressors. when you stand for your liberty , we will stand with you. [applause] democratic reformers facing repression, prison, or exile can now, america sees you for who you are, the future leaders of your free country. the rulers of outlaw regimes can no, we still believe, as abraham lincoln did, those who deny freedom to others deserve it not

for themselves. and under the rule of a just god cannot long retained it. the leaders of government with long habits of control need to know, to serve your people, you must learn to trust them. start on this journey of progress and justice, and america will walk at your side. >> from january 20, 2005. we are looking at the north portico entrance of the white house. we are reminded that one of his final appearances as president, abraham lincoln, was from the second floor of the white house. >> from the middle window, where we see that lantern, is where he gave his last speech. john wilkes booth was in the audience that night. lincoln is even bigger now than he was in 2005.

i wonder if we will hear some lincoln tomorrow. >> president obama, being from chicago, illinois, really reveres lincoln. he has seen the movie. i know that he draws inspiration from abraham lincoln. we may very well here some references. >> we have been showing the scene outside of the white house. it has become a mecca for tourists to capture the feeling of the weekend. steve is with us from miami. >> good morning. before i start my comment, i would like to say i am a cuban american. i got here in 1960. to us, what i have learned since

tothen, white and blacks are the same. putting that aside, terry made a comment about gun-control. the first thing that happened in cuba, russia, a communist country is one thing. take the guns away from the citizens. we do not need that in the united states. i believe we have the second amendment. it goes back for a long time. second, spending. how can we keep spending money when our nation does not have a penny to stand on? my three kids and my grandkids, what are they going to believe in? i have a question for the democratic body. the cubans coming in from cuba

right now are not political refugees anymore. right now, i am watching c-span at my mother's place. she has worked 30-some years in this beautiful nation of ours. when are we going to stop giving away our money? people that pay taxes in this beautiful nation. we have people coming in -- and i will use my own place of birth, cuba. >> i will stop you there. two issues that you put on the table that the present will be facing, immigration, the debt and deficit. >> that is absolutely true, these will be two big issues. on the gun-control issue, but no one is talking about taking everyone's guns away. they are talking about sensible,

common-sense measures to prevent some of the tragic incidents we have seen recently, in newtown, aurora, colorado. i think there will be time to get into the thick of these issues after tomorrow, but tomorrow will be a chance for the president, really, to bring the country together and say we need to reach common ground on some of the major problem we face. >> you were inside the bush white house. the president put on the table two big domestic agenda items, immigration reform, primarily because his own party said no, and social security reform. >>what advice would you give president obama, based on the lessons that you saw firsthand with president bush? >> the advice i would give to

him is you cannot go wrong by doing what you promised you would do, by pressing the agenda and you promised the voters you promised you would press, and you have to be willing to face the consequences. when president bush was reelected, he said, i have political capital, and i intend to spend would you give it, to that effect, and he did. it works out sometimes, and it does not work out in other cases, but you have to press your agenda with energy and vigor. i think all of our greatest presidents have had varying elements of that. >> some say that there is the cadence of jfk in this speech, bill clinton in 1997. >> fellow citizens, we must not waste the precious gift of this time. for all levels are on the same journey of our lives.

and our journey, too, will come to an end. but the journey of our america must go on. and so, my fellow americans, we must be strong, for there is much to dare. the demands of our time are great, and they are different. let us meet them with faith and courage, with patients and a grateful, happy harked. let us shape the hope of this date in to the noblest chapter in our history. yes, let us build our bridge. [applause]

a bridge wide enough and strong enough for every american to cross over to a blessed land of new promise. made those generations whose faces we cannot yet see, whose names we may never know, say of us here, that we lead our beloved land into a new century with the american dream alive for all her children. with the american promise of a more perfect union, a reality for all her people, with america posset bright flame of freedom spreading throughout all the world. >> terry edmonds, you were part of that speech for bill clinton. how did that come about? >> i would just say, the team,

the bridge to the 21st century, is one that he honed -- actually, it began when he was governor of arkansas. one of the major themes of his first campaign. it lived throughout the first administration. in fact, for us speech writers, we kind of got tired of hearing that phrase, but it was one that he really liked, one that he created, and it painted a picture that the american people could see. this speech, i think he wanted

to chronicle the sweep of history, how america had come out of difficult times before, how we could do it, again. his other theme was this new democrat theme, opportunity for all, a new sense of community in america, making the point that we are all in this together, and that we will all sink or swim together. >> i would give other you a comt your commentary. i work in the dole campaign, so i am familiar with clinton said in 1996, on the receiving end of that campaign. and it was all the bridge to the 21st century. i am glad that his own speech writers got as tired of it as we all did. after he got reelected, i remember thinking before his second inaugural address, what is he going to do with that bridge? it is so tired, grating,

everyone has heard it too many times. an inaugural address is an official event, and that the divided country, and there came the bridge, but it was so well done -- it did not take you back to the campaign. it just closed a chapter, i thought, very well. if it had been the theme of his address, it would not have worked, but to bring in at the end, i thought was a good payoff. >> by the time these presidents reached this point, they have been to the debates, public appearances. i wonder, john mcconnell, did president bush expressed any nervousness? this is probably the biggest address that he will be giving before an international audience. was their anxiety or a high comfort level before he delivered these words? >> i would not say anxiety. very in a moment, very mindful of the moment.

he hadeveryone witnessed so mans like this in his own life, even before he imagined he would be president himself he was on that platform watching his father be inaugurated. i remember the morning of president bush's second inauguration, i did not go to the mall, i was at the white house that morning. the president's motorcade was going up to the capital. they were taking the motorcade on a route that i had never seen them take before. they went out the gate and up pennsylvania avenue, west, and then down west executive drive, down constitution avenue. when i realize what they're doing, i thought, the president is going to go right by my office. so i ran out the door and just stood outside, there was no one there. i stood outside and the limo came by, i gave him the thumbs up, he gave me a thumbs-up back.

this was not the look of a nervous man. >> we are speaking to don mcconnell who worked with president bush, terry edmonds, both at the white house, both working with congressman paul ryan. if he runs in 2016, will rejoin his campaign? >> that is something that the top man decides, the staff man. >> ken is with us from kimble, new york. >> i was wondering if the president would have any proposals to introduce a set of programs to move people from social service programs to the workforce? >> thanks for the call. we know we will hear more details in the state of the union address. let me take his point and broaden it a little bit. will this lay the groundwork for the detail and you will get next month at the state of the union, and to the collar's specific, will we hear

specifics? >> you will hear specifics in the state of the unit, tomorrow, you will hear broad outlines of a balanced approach to the budget, economy, taking measures to get more people working and off of public assistance. you will hear broad themes about that, but the details will come later. >> dave is next, from ohio. go ahead, please, republican line. >> i have one comment i want to make. i hope when president obama takes his oath of office, that he takes the oath literally and not hypocritically. i am an nra member, and in the i am an nra member, and in the oath it